A Zoo is a special place to keep livestock, birds, marine or land reptiles, and fish; it is a place to keep wild animals for displays, or studies about their behavior. Since a zoo usually looks like a Garden, Farsi-speakers call it "Baghe Vahsh" meaning a garden for wild animals. A zoo is a vast green expanse, similar to a garden in which wild animals and birds are collected from all continents. It is a lot in which animal are kept for displays and each animal enjoys its special habitat.

In big cities, zoo serves as scientific and research centers. Usually wild animals’ cages are made of steel bars. Some of the cages are surrounded by ditches, to keep the visitors at a safe distance. Building zoo and keeping wild animals in different forms have been common from ancient times among nations. Ancient Roman and Greek kings collected and kept wild animals for scientific and entertainment purposes.

After the conquest of Babylon, Alexander the Great collected many species of Asian wild animals and transferred them to Greece; this menagerie was Aristotle’s major source for the History of Animals. Roman aristocrats had their own personal menageries, and this gave birth to gladiators and afterwards circus displays. We can also trace this practice in post-medieval France, such as that of Francis I in Saint Paul. Later on Louis XIV ordered the establishment of the Royal Zoo in Versailles that remained until the French Revolution. In 1792 by the order of Bernardin de Saint-Pierre’s “The Public Garden” was turned into a museum and years later, the zoo animals of Versailles and the private menageries were transferred to this public garden.

Nowadays in every European capital there is a big zoo. Islamic countries have not been exceptions in this practice. Jurji Zaidan Says “Caliphs were entertained by collecting and keeping wild animals such as lions, Tigers and elephants. To give them a regal aura. Mansur was the first person from Abbasid Caliphate who followed this practice; Who had many elephants. Harun al-Rashid also kept lions, tigers, dogs and monkeys and it is said that his wife’s monkey enjoyed thirty servants, human clothes and a scimitar around its waist. As the monkey rode a horse its servants followed respectfully and when people came to visit, kissing the monkey’s hand was a part of the formalities. Once Yazid Ibn-Morsad paid Harun’s wife a visit and was asked to kiss the monkey’s hand. Infuriated, he drew his scimitar and cleaved the poor animal. When Harun got to know about this misfortune, he reprimanded Yazid. In his defense Yazid said “Oh Caliph, I am here to serve the Muslim’s Caliph that is you, not the monkeys.” this reply won him Harun’s pardon.

As al-Mohtadi ascended the throne, his strict observance of Islamic rules made him kill all the wild animals in the castle, but this ban did not last long and after his reign, one could see animals even in Caliphate Bureaus. Adud al-Dawla had an escort of chained lions and elephants in public places to intimidate the common people. Isma'il ibn Ahmad, the second Emir of Samanid dynasty had a chained lion to guard his tent. In other Islamic nations this practice was followed; Ahmad ibn Tulun had a special garden for his wild animals and one could see different cages, nests and houses meant for different animals. Servants fed the animals and cleaned the cages through holes on the tops of the cages. Among his animals there was a wild lion called Zariq that was so attached to Ahmad to the point that they had their meals together, wolfing down chickens and lambs! As Ahmad fell asleep, Zariq guarded him so that no one could disturb him. To repay Zariq’s favors they had fastened a gold leash around its neck.

Among the viziers of Egypt’s Court, Jafar ibn-Khanzabe was fond of animals and insects such as vipers, scorpions and centipedes. In his house he had special rooms to keep his collection and anyone who contributed to this collection would enjoy his generosity. Aziz Fatemi, the Caliph of Egypt had a rare menagerie among which was a colorful, double-chinned, bearded animal Called Ongha. In the City of Zahra, Caliph Naser Umayyad had special gardens for wild animals and birds. Many Caliphs enjoyed fishing and pigeon racing.

The first modern zoo in Iran was opened in Naser al-Din Shah Qajar’s reign in a tulip garden that is today’s Laleh-Zar Street. Afterwards this garden was transferred to Farah Abad and was considered the Royal Zoo.

Overview and HistoryTehran is the capital of Iran and the largest city in the Middle East, with a population of fifteen million people living under the peaks of the Alborz mountain range.Although archaeological evidence places human activity around Tehran back into the years 6000BC, the city was not mentioned in any writings until much later, in the thirteenth century. It's a relatively new city by Iranian standards.But Tehran was a well-known village in the ninth century. It grew rapidly when its neighboring city, Rhages, was destroyed by Mongolian raiders. Many people fled to Tehran.In the seventeenth century Tehran became home to the rulers of the Safavid Dynasty. This is the period when the wall around the city was first constructed. Tehran became the capital of Iran in 1795 and amazingly fast growth followed over the next two hundred years.The recent history of Tehran saw construction of apartment complexes and wide avenues in place of the old Persian gardens, to the detriment of the city's cultural history.The city at present is laid out in two general parts. Northern Tehran is more cosmopolitan and expensive, southern Tehran is cheaper and gets the name "downtown."Getting ThereMehrabad airport is the original one which is currently in the process of being replaced by Imam Khomeini International Airport. The new one is farther away from the city but it now receives all the international traffic, so allow an extra hour to get there or back.TransportationTehran driving can be a wild free-for-all like some South American cities, so get ready for shared taxis, confusing bus routes and a brand new shiny metro system to make it all better. To be fair, there is a great highway system here.The metro has four lines, tickets cost 2000IR, and they have segregated cars. The women-only carriages are the last two at the end, FYI.Taxis come in two flavors, shared and private. Private taxis are more expensive but easier to manage for the visiting traveler. Tehran has a mean rush hour starting at seven AM and lasting until 8PM in its evening version. Solution? Motorcycle taxis! They cut through the traffic and any spare nerves you might have left.People and CultureMore than sixty percent of Tehranis were born outside of the city, making it as ethnically and linguistically diverse as the country itself. Tehran is the most secular and liberal city in Iran and as such it attracts students from all over the country.Things to do, RecommendationsTake the metro to the Tehran Bazaar at the stop "Panzda Gordad". There you can find anything and everything -- shoes, clothes, food, gold, machines and more. Just for the sight of it alone you should take a trip there.If you like being outside, go to Darband and drink tea in a traditional setting. Tehranis love a good picnic and there are plenty of parks to enjoy. Try Mellat park on a friday (fridays are public holidays), or maybe Park Daneshjou, Saaii or Jamshidieh.Remember to go upstairs and have a look around, always always always! The Azadi Tower should fit the bill; it was constructed to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the Persian Empire.Tehran is also full of museums such as:the Contemporary Art Museumthe Abghine Musuem (glass works)the 19th century Golestan Royal Palace museumthe museum of carpets (!!!)Reza Abbasi Museum of extraordinary miniaturesand most stunning of all,the Crown Jewels Museum which holds the largest pink diamond in the world and many other jaw-dropping jewels.Text by Steve Smith.

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